Sam and Max Season 1 for the Wii and PC

Before video games became a major industry player, most of the best games for the PC were puzzle/role-playing.  These games involved playing some sort of character, and then moving around in a 3-D environment to solve some sort of bigger goal. 

 

Sam and Max is one of those, as it has all of the elements of those formerly “old school” games.  Sam and Max go through certain places, and pick up certain items.  These items generally get used on areas to open up more puzzles to solve. 

 

The only difference between Sam and Max and these other games is that Sam and Max is a lot funnier than others.  The missions of Sam and Max are always improbable and humorous as possible.  For example, there is a mission involving evil former child stars led by the villainous Brady Culture, the ultimate has-been.

 

The dialogue of Sam and Max is nothing short of hysterical.  For example, there is a scene where Sam and Max approach Bosco, an Inconvenience store owner.  Max says: “we’re here to patronize you.  By patronize, we mean that we want to buy stuff from you, not make fun of you, but we’ll probably do that too.” 

 

Sam and Max even goes so far as to satirize video games themselves.  In a scene where Sam and Max are talking to recurring character Sybil about video games, she says that “video games are fun, unless you get stuck in a dialogue tree”.  Which is ironic, because at that point in the game, you are stuck in a dialogue tree.

 

The principal characters are Sam and Max are a comedy duo in the tradition of Abbot and Costello and Laurel and Hardy.  Sam the dog is the smart one, who is great at saying the weirdest phrases of astonishment such as “Great Head of John the Baptist served with a side of Ceasar’s Salad”.  Max the rabbit-like creature is crazy, trigger happy, and totally likeable.   

 

For those who have never heard of Sam and Max, it began as comic book created by Steve Purcell back in 1987.  It was eventually made into a cartoon ten years later known as The Adventures of Sam and Max: Freelance Police.  Now, it is a video games series for the PC and the Wii, also known as Season One. 

 

So, it has come to the point where we are calling video games a season, like a television show.  In all honesty, I actually prefer actively participating in a video game where I play the main character rather than passively watch some actor play some scene. 

 

So how about it TV networks?  Let’s make some television shows that are completely interactive.  I would be glad watch and play those.  Feel free to chime in with a comment if you agree.